Introduction
Journals are publications that serve as a platform for researchers, scholars, and experts to share their findings, insights, and analyses on various topics within a specific field of study. They play a crucial role in the dissemination of knowledge and the advancement of academic research. Journals typically consist of articles that undergo a rigorous peer-review process to ensure the quality and validity of the information presented. They cover a wide range of subjects, including but not limited to science, technology, medicine, social sciences, humanities, and more. Journals provide a valuable resource for individuals seeking up-to-date and reliable information in their respective fields.
Journal articles are scholarly publications that present original research, analysis, and findings on a specific topic within a particular field of study. These articles are typically written by researchers, academics, or experts in the field and undergo a rigorous peer-review process before being accepted for publication. Journal articles are considered primary sources of information and provide in-depth and detailed insights into a particular research area.
Scope of Educational journals
Educational journals have a broad scope that encompasses various aspects of education, teaching, learning, and educational research. These journals cover a wide range of topics, including educational theories, pedagogical approaches, curriculum development, assessment and evaluation, educational technology, educational psychology, special education, and more. They explore issues and trends in education at different levels, from early childhood education to higher education. Educational journals also delve into specific subjects within the field, such as mathematics education, science education, language learning, and educational leadership. The scope of educational journals is to provide a platform for researchers, educators, and practitioners to share their insights, experiences, and research findings, ultimately contributing to the improvement and advancement of education as a whole.
Goals of Reviewing Journals
The primary goals of reviewing journals are to ensure the quality, accuracy, and validity of the research published within them. Reviewers play a crucial role in the scholarly publishing process by carefully evaluating submitted manuscripts. Their main objectives include assessing the originality and significance of the research, evaluating the methodology and data analysis, providing constructive feedback to authors for improvement, and ensuring that the research adheres to ethical standards. Reviewers aim to identify any flaws or weaknesses in the study and offer suggestions for enhancing its rigour and clarity. By conducting thorough research and unbiased reviews, the goals are to maintain the integrity of the academic community, promote the advancement of knowledge, and contribute to the overall quality of scholarly publications.
Objectives:-
to become familiar with journals
to read journal articles
to reflect on journal articles
to develop the skill of critical reading
to develop the skill of critical thinking
to develop the skill of framing questions to think about while preparing to read something
to summarise journal articles
to evaluate journal articles
to write a critical appraisal of a journal
I. Description of the journal reviewed
Name: Journal of English Language Teaching
Area or Field of study: Education
ISSN: 0973-5208
Interval of publication: monthly
Publishers:Dr. K. Elango
Volume, Issue - 64/3, May- June 2022
1. Teacher Autonomy: Ensuring Equity and Reinstating Respect
The article is published in ‘ Journal of English Language Teaching’, Vol. 64, No.3, May- June 2022 issue. This article was written by Dr. Shree Deepa and Prof. Geetha Durairajan. The authors of this article give us a clear picture of what teacher autonomy is and also analyse the role of teachers in the educational hierarchy. In this article, survey method was used for the collection of data. The article aimed to understand the perspectives of teachers regarding their rights and freedom. The questions dealt with the hierarchy of the teacher in the system, the nature of the choice that the teacher had and what she felt about empowerment. Teachers answered questions, regarding how they exercised autonomy in classrooms, what the areas of freedom were and where they felt restricted. Their answers ranged from all aspects of education from curriculum, and methodology to assessment.
The article attempts to provide an account of the impediments that teachers face in creating a teaching-learning atmosphere. It also provides an insight into what teacher autonomy is and the inhibitions that are created or already exist and therefore experienced by a teacher. It analyses the shared principles that exist on the various levels in the educational system and how that can empower teachers to carry out their responsibilities in the most effective manner.
NEP 2020 states that “ Teachers will be given more autonomy in choosing aspects of pedagogy, so that they may teach in the manner they find most effective for the students in their classrooms. Teachers will also focus on socio-emotional learning- a critical aspect of any student’s holistic development. Teachers will be recognised for novel approaches to teaching that improve learning outcomes in their classrooms.”
Teacher autonomy refers to the level of independence and decision-making authority that teachers have in their classrooms and professional practice. It recognizes the expertise and knowledge that teachers possess and empowers them to make informed choices regarding curriculum, instructional methods, and assessment strategies. Teacher autonomy is crucial for fostering a positive learning environment, as it allows educators to tailor their teaching to meet the unique needs of their students. It also promotes creativity, innovation, and professional growth among teachers, ultimately leading to improved student outcomes and a more equitable education system.
The present educational system hinders the autonomy of teachers and they are being forced to follow a particular pattern of teaching, which will block her attempts to innovate in classrooms and dampen her enthusiasm to want to make a difference to the lives of her students.
Lack of freedom of mind and action on the teacher's part will never lead to holistic learning by students because such learning will become mechanical under the pressure of rules and regulations chalked out by a team far removed from ground reality.
Placing the teacher in the hierarchy and Power of choosing
In the educational hierarchy, the legislature is at the apex and teachers are at the broad base. It is the teacher who directly interacts with the students. However, the teacher is often considered as a mere agent who only needs to implement educational policies, an instrument of a larger design. According to a teacher, ‘‘ teacher autonomy is essential for the all-round development of students because it is only the teacher who knows what is required for his/her students.” But the reality is that teachers don't even have a say when it comes to deciding the syllabus. They have no say in choosing lessons, they begin a school year with the syllabus which has been decided by the higher authorities.
Teachers do not have the freedom to choose how they teach something. They are forced to follow Schemes of Work. Teachers benefit from a general framework because they get a head start and save a lot of time, but they also function as constraints and restrictions because of many other elements which stipulate and statute teacher actions. Due to this many teachers are seen concentrating on parts of the syllabus that will fetch high marks. Many teachers are forced to drop all ideas of innovation, and concentrate only on the performance index, a lower PI is directly proportional to humiliation at school and by the authorities. These kinds of rigid rules will reduce the status of teachers to robots who will just finish the syllabus.
Empowering Teacher
The article also focuses on the self-development and self respect of teachers. Teachers need to upgrade themselves to keep pace with the changing times and refrain from becoming monotonous with their pedagogy, but they are being subjected to frequent reprimands by the authorities. One teacher stated that “ Punishment is a limitation. Compromising with self respect is the solution.” Teachers find taking leaves a very troublesome job when the authorities proclaim that even a casual leave is not a teacher's right. This intrusion into personal space destroys job satisfaction for them. Therefore, teacher autonomy is one of the key factors for holistic and positive academic learning. It will enable both the teachers and learners to express their ideas, beliefs, values and opinions without any form of restriction.
The article tries to shed light on the challenges of teachers, when it comes to exercising their autonomy in the classroom. One common issue is the lack of trust and support from administrators and policymakers, who may impose rigid curriculum guidelines and standardised testing requirements. This restricts teachers' ability to adapt their teaching methods to suit their students' individual needs. Additionally, limited resources and time constraints can hinder teachers' autonomy, as they may have to prioritize meeting external demands over pursuing innovative instructional approaches. Furthermore, external pressures, such as parental expectations and societal demands, can also limit teachers' autonomy and force them to conform to certain teaching practices. Addressing these challenges is crucial to ensure that teachers have the freedom and support they need to make informed decisions and create meaningful learning experiences for their students.
II.Description of the journal reviewed
Name: Journal of English Language Teaching
Area or Field of study: Language Learning
ISSN: 0973-5208
Interval of publication: monthly
Publishers:Dr. K. Elango
Volume, Issue - 64/1, January -February 2022
2. News Reports and Language Learning: An Overview of Etiquettes and Hurdles
The article is published in ‘Journal of English Language Teaching’, Vol. 64, No.1, January - February 2022 issue. This article was written by Dr. A. Mohamed Mustafa and S. Khaleel. The article emphasizes the importance of English newspaper reports as perfect language learning tools. For this, various tools, such as Questionnaire, Rating Scale etc… were used.
English newspapers are considered perfect language learning tools as the reports are scripted with utmost clarity and precision. Considering the fact that language is about making sense of real life issues, the nexus between the two is perfectly executed in news reports. The article discusses the role of newspapers in language learning and the hurdles that can be encountered by learners during the reading process. It also gives us a brief idea about the structure of news reports and how news reports help students to learn the English language with data collected from 75 undergraduate students studying in arts and science colleges located in the Tirunelveli district.
English news reports can be a valuable resource for language learning. They provide a wide range of topics and vocabulary, helping learners improve their reading, listening, and comprehension skills. News reports often use clear and concise language, making them accessible for language learners at various proficiency levels. Additionally, news reports expose learners to different writing styles, sentence structures, and idiomatic expressions, enhancing their overall language proficiency. Engaging with news reports also helps learners stay updated on current events and develop cultural awareness. To maximize the benefits, learners can actively engage with news reports by reading, listening, and discussing them with others. They can also use news articles as a basis for vocabulary expansion, grammar practice, and writing exercises. Even though news reports are a perfect tool for language learning, several aspects of the news reports often pose a great difficulty for the readers to proceed with their reading further and prove to be a major impediment in understanding the content. Some of the reasons attributing to this difficulty are listed in the article.
Reporting verbs
While reporting speeches and press conferences of important people, the reporter will use various reporting verbs. The readers find it a bit difficult to understand them.
Usage of idioms and phrases
Idioms and phrases are widely used in newspapers to present the points very crisply. The frequent use of idioms and phrases in news reports makes it difficult for the readers to understand them.
Usage of phrasal verbs
The script writers use phrasal verbs with the view to make the report lively and colourful. When the readers read the words separately, it may be misleading.
The article attempts to identify the etiquette in language learning through news reports, hurdles faced by the learners and also suitable solutions to improve the situation. The study was conducted among 75 undergraduate students studying in different arts and science colleges. The results were tabulated.
Major findings of the study
Learners, despite difficulties in reading/listening to news reports/broadcasts, firmly want to hold on to reading/listening to news reports/ broadcasts.
About 54.7% of the learners agreed that dictionaries will help them in better understand English newspaper reports.
The majority of the respondents agreed with the assertion that Dictionaries are providing assistance in enriching their vocabulary.
Almost half of the students agreed with the question that one should not give up listening to broadcasts in English or reading English newspapers even when nothing is understood.
The article focuses on the importance of English news reports in language learning, the impediments faced by the learners during the reading process through analysis and interpretation of data collected from 75 undergraduate students studying in different arts and science colleges.
III.Description of journal reviewed
Name: Journal of English Language Teaching
Area or Field of study: Education
ISSN: 0973-5208
Interval of publication: monthly
Publishers:Dr. K. Elango
Volume, Issue - 56/3, May- June 2014
3. Rural Learners and English Language Proficiency
The article is published in ‘Journal of English Language Teaching’, Vol. 54/3, 2014 issue. This article was written by Dr. Hemaprabha. The paper presents the findings in an action research project undertaken to investigate the differences between students from rural and urban backgrounds studying in engineering colleges.
Objectives of the study
The article tries to investigate English proficiency among students of Engineering from rural backgrounds in their first year of college. The data for the study was collected from 100 respondents belonging to the first year of engineering education. For this study, the structured interview method was used. The article also compares and contrasts the levels of proficiency among urban and rural learners in the context of the rural- urban divide.
Analysis of the study
The article gives an overall analysis of the level of interest in acquisition of English language skills among urban and rural learners. It is found from the analysis that the fluency levels of rural boys and girls are much less than those of the urban sample. When compared to the urban sample, the rural students said that their confidence level was less. They showed a preference for group learning and expressed more interest in improving their vocabulary. The rural students said that their language skills improved at the end of the course, while their urban counterparts felt that it did not make much difference.
The article also used the survey method to analyse the factors affecting learning of English in rural and urban students. A clear picture of rural and urban divide regarding English language has been observed. When compared with rural students, the fluency rate, proficiency level, confidence level, and the usage of dictionaries are quite high among the urban students. Tension in the classroom, domination of English medium students, preference for the workbook, preference for group learning, need for improving vocabulary and communication skills were felt by the rural students.
Major findings of the study
The rural learners are unable to speak English fluently because the teachers themselves speak in the regional language.
English medium students from the urban sample took advantage of the inability of the rural learners to communicate in English and dominated them in the class.
The rural learners felt uncomfortable if the classroom was filled with a large number of students.
The rural learners preferred to learn in groups.
The survey has fulfilled the objectives of the study. The challenges encountered by rural students are many and measures for improvement of English language proficiency are to be implemented. Taking into consideration their rural backgrounds, conversational fluency and writing skills should be enhanced by providing the students proper opportunity to participate in activity based learning. A reasonable level of communicative competence can be achieved if the students speak the language frequently, but many students do not make an attempt as they are not confident enough.
Conclusion
The major reason for their lack of fluency is rote learning. As their only aim is to clear their examinations, they are forced to memorize important topics. The students from rural areas are willing to open their minds. The findings of the article suggest that male and female students from the rural background are in pursuit of learning. The study has established that it is worthwhile considering different approaches to teaching English to students from rural and urban backgrounds.
IV.Description of the journal reviewed
Name: Journal of English Language Teaching
Area or Field of study: Education
ISSN: 0973-5208
Interval of publication: monthly
Publishers:Dr. K. Elango
Volume, Issue - 64/3, May- June 2022
4. Questioning - A Magical Tool to Develop 21st Century Skill
The article is published in ‘Journal of English Language Teaching’, Vol. 64, No.3, May- June 2022 issue. This article was written by Lalitha Murthy. The article discusses the importance of Questioning as a tool to develop 21st-century skill. It also tries to find out how teachers can use this tool to help develop students’ learning skills and how teachers can motivate students to ask questions. The article emphasizes the connection between questioning and critical thinking.
Since ancient times, questioning has been an important tool for interaction and building interpersonal skills. Questions have led to discoveries, challenge existing beliefs and have led to new discoveries and inventions. Questioning is important to clarify, understand and reinforce learning. However, it is extremely important in developing other skills too. Today much is talked about 21 st century skills. Learning skills are collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity. All these are interconnected and the one tool which binds them is questioning. Questioning helps students to develop their thinking from a lower order concrete and factual recall type to the higher-order analytical and evaluative which promotes deeper understanding.
Questioning as a magical tool
In the words of Thomas Watson, the founder of IBM, “ The ability to ask the right question is more than half the battle of finding the right answer.”
Questioning is the oldest method of interaction with others. The earliest method of questioning was formulated by the Greek philosopher Socrates. The article analyzes different types of questions and also how it develops critical thinking and creativity of students. Questions have been used to develop communication skills. Questioning as a tool can be used effectively to develop other 21st century skills. It can be used to develop collaboration. In addition to group and pair work, asking open-minded open-ended questions can create an environment of discussion and collaboration. Questions encourage reflection thereby leading to critical thinking and creativity. The article also mentioned a book written by Warren Berger. He talks of three questions which can help solve any problem : Why, What if and How, these three questions can help one to go through three critical stages of problem-solving leading to creativity. In classroom situations teachers can use Bloom's taxonomy to frame questions that develop critical thinking. By incorporating Bloom's taxonomy to frame questions teachers can ask or create questions that can be used to enhance the creativity and critical thinking skills of students.
The article also introduced the technique of ‘question storming’, which is effective in getting students to interact in class. In the article, it is suggested that instead of asking students to prepare answers for questions, the teacher could ask students to prepare as many questions as possible on any topic covered in class. This will enhance their remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creative skills.
V.Description of the journal reviewed
Name: Journal of English Language Teaching
Area or Field of study: Education
ISSN: 0973-5208
Interval of publication: monthly
Publishers:Dr. K. Elango
Volume, Issue - 49/2, March-April 2011
5. Communication barriers
The article is published in ‘Journal of English Language Teaching’, Vol. 49/2 2011 issue. This article was written by Mrs. P. Babitha and Dr. P. Shailaja. The article mainly looks at the creation of certain communication barriers and suggests that to use language effectively, a breaking down of the barriers that one encounters in the communication process is essential as even mild problems can have a severe impact on the speaking process.
The purpose of communication is to get the message across clearly and unambiguously. Doing this involves effort for both the sender of the message and the receiver of the message. Communication is successful when both the sender and the receiver understand the same information. When not successful the thoughts and ideas that one sends do not necessarily reflect one's own, causing a communications breakdown. Problems arise at every stage of the communication process which have the potential to create misunderstanding and confusion. Learners learning English as a second language, struggle to communicate their thoughts and ideas effectively whether in verbal or written form. This inability makes it nearly impossible to compete effectively in the school or later at the workplace. The article discusses Level’s four major processes of speech production, various barriers of communication, methods to overcome these barriers, the importance of ‘talk’ or ‘talking to learn ‘ and nonverbal communication.
Level proposed that speech production involves 4 major processes that is, Conceptualization Formulation Articulation and Self monitoring. Conceptualization is concerned with planning the message content. Formulation: the formulator finds words and phrases to express the meaning, sequencing them and putting in appropriate grammatical markers. Articulation involves the motor control of the articulator organs. Self monitoring is concerned with learners being able to identify and self-correct mistakes.
Language barriers
For an L2 speaker it will be difficult to manage speech fluently and accurately since they lack automation and hence experience barriers to communication. The common barriers of communication are language barriers and cultural barriers.
Problems in speaking are often seen in those who do not understand language. This affects almost every aspect: producing sounds, learning vocabulary, comprehension etc … Problems with the sound system of language have been reported in many who have difficulty in learning to listen and read. Problems in pronunciation of words Errors of pronunciation, Spelling pronunciation … are common problems. Some learners have difficulty with grammar.They omit words or word endings or get words in the wrong order. Some learners understand spoken language but have difficulty in expression. A common problem seen in expressive language is difficulty recalling words they know. Some have difficulty putting their ideas into words in an organized way.
Cultural barriers
Barriers to learning occur if learners knowingly or unknowingly transfer the cultural rules from their mother tongue to a second language. The social roles and rules for speaking are different in each culture. These social roles and rules exert a strong influence on a learner’s ability in speaking a second language. One has to be aware of the social and linguistic rules and roles in both cultures for appropriate cultural and linguistic behaviour.
Removing barriers
The article also suggests some ways to overcome these barriers in communication. They are self awareness, talking to learn, practice of error correction etc … It also focuses on the importance of Non verbal communication. Non verbal communication consists of all the messages other than words that are used in communication. Non-verbal cues play five roles. They are Repetition, Contradiction, Substitution, Complementing and Accenting. The article looks at the creation of certain communication barriers and suggests measures to overcome these barriers.
Conclusion
This practical work gave me an opportunity to review journal articles related to education and it was a rewarding and insightful experience. It allows me to engage with the latest research and developments in the field, broaden my knowledge, and stay updated with current trends and practices in education. As a reviewer, I have the opportunity to critically evaluate the quality and validity of the research presented in the article. This involves assessing the methodology, data analysis, and interpretation of results. Reviewing also allows me to identify any gaps or limitations in the study and suggest areas for improvement. It is a responsibility that I take seriously, as it contributes to the overall quality and credibility of the research published in educational journals. Through the process of reviewing, I not only enhance my own understanding of the subject matter but also contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field of education.
